XN000022-1983-10-31 — Page 5

MONDAY, OCTOBER 31, 1983

4

MORE SUPPORT SOUGHT FOR TRAINING SCHEME

***

DETAILS OF THE ENGINEERING GRADUATES TRAINING SCHEME WERE EXPLAINED AT A SEMINAR TODAY TO REPRESENTATIVES FROM 100 FIRMS.

THE PURPOSE OF THE SEMINAR WAS TO PROMOTE THE SCHEME J LAUNCHED IN FEBRUARY THIS YEAR BY THE COMMITTEE ON TRAINING OF TECHNOLOGISTS OF THE VOCATIONAL TRAINING COUNCIL (VTC).

IT WAS EXPECTED THAT THROUGH THE SEMINAR MORE EMPLOYERS WOULD GAIN A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE SCHEME AND BE INDUCED TO OFFER PRACTICAL TRAINING PLACES FOR ENGINEERING GRADUATES, A VTC SPOKESMAN SAID.

SO FAR 50 EMPLOYERS HAVE JOINED THE SCHEME, OFFERING ABOUT 220 ON-THE-JOB TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES FOR GRADUATES TO COMPLETE THEIR TRAINING TO BECOME QUALIFIED ENGINEERS.

BUT THE SCHEME HAS ALREADY ATTRACTED 570 GRADUATES FROM THE TWO UNIVERSITIES, HOLDERS OF ASSOCIATESHIP OF THE POLYTECHNIC AND OVERSEAS GRADUATES IN HONG KONG WITH EQUIVALENT QUALIFICATIONS.

+ THE SHORTFALL OF TRAINING PLACES IS ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE ECONOMIC RECESSION. HOWEVER, THE COMMITTEE ON TRAINING TECHNOLOGISTS HAS MADE EVERY EFFORT TO CALL UPON EMPLOYERS TO INCREASE THEIR INTAKES, THE SPOKESMAN SAID,

AS AN INCENTIVE TO EMPLOYERS, THE GOVERNMENT SUBSIDISES EACH TRAINING PLACE WITH $1 600 PER MONTH. THE TOTAL COST OF THE SCHEME IS ESTIMATED AT $6.8 MILLION FOR THE FIRST YEAR.

THE SCHEME IS INTENDED TO PROVIDE ENGINEERING GRADUATES WITH 18 MONTHS' PRACTICAL TRAINING OF A STANDARD ACCEPTABLE FOR CORPORATE MEMBERSHIP OF THE HONG KONG INSTITUTION OF ENGINEERS.

IT ALSO ENSURES AN ADEQUATE SUPPLY OF WELL-TRAINED ENGINEERS FOR HONG KONG'S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

NEW METRIC PUBLICITY DRIVE STARTS

****

FROM NOW ON, THE CHINESE TERMS +GUNG GUN+ AND +GUNG LEI+ WILL BE PROMOTED FOR USE IN EVERYDAY LIFE. MARKET TRANSACTIONS AND MEDIA REPORTING SO AS TO GAIN THE PUBLIC'S READY ACCEPTANCE OF THE METRIC SYSTEM.

THE DECISION TO ADOPT TERMS THAT ARE MORE SUITED TO THE LINGUISTIC HABITS OF THE CHINESE POPULATION WAS ANNOUNCED TODAY BY MR JAMES WU, CHAIRMAN OF THE METRICATION COMMITTEE, AT A PRESS CONFERENCE TO DISCLOSE THE NEW APPROACH TO THE METRICATION PUBLICITY CAMPAIGN.

MR WU SAID THAT THE USE OF THE TERMS +CHIN HAK+ AND CHIN MAI WILL BE LIMITED TO EDUCATIONAL, TECHNICAL AND SCIENTIFIC DOCUMENTS.

/MR WO